Gerard Theatre
442 Perry Highway,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15229
442 Perry Highway,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15229
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Alpine Theater Circuit
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Grand Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Located in the West View section of Pittsburg. The Grand Theatre was opened in 1927 (not to be confused with the Grand Theatre, 4909 2nd Avenue). It was equipped with a Moller theatre organ Opus 3647.
It was modernised in an Art Deco style and reopened as the Gerrard Theatre on January 19, 1940 and was operated by the Alpine Theaters Circuit. The Gerrard Theatre was closed in November 1963. It became a dance hall/roller skating rink for teenagers. In January 1965 it went into retail use as a flooring store. On September 8, 1960 it was converted into office use. Now in workshop and retail use.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
I can’t tell you how many times as a kid I spent a wonderful Saturday or Sunday afternoon here. Now, it was a small theater and the strangest thing was its inability to play a wide screen movie in its original aspect ratio. There was a stage and a screen that had no masking capability, so every movie image completely filled the screen. But the sides of a widescreen film fell off to the sides onto a dull set of curtains that stretched from the front of the stage to the back beside the screen.
Space was split with a pet shop and TV/electronics store. Today houses an engineering firm and jewelry store.
Facebook post with additional history and 23, photos and newspaper clippings.
The Gerard Theater 1940-1963 West View Historical Society The Gerard Theater first opened it’s doors on January 19, 1940. Soon after its opening, James H. Nash became the manager/owner, a position he held until his death on May 26, 1963. Previous to owning the Gerard, James was a salesman for United Artists. An innovator, he added a nursery for preschool children and then the “cry room” in 1945. He wanted mothers with young children to be able to attend the movies and not have to worry about a babysitter.
Six months after his death the theater was sold to Robert McConnell and it became a dance hall/roller skating rink for the local teens. This enterprise did not last long as in January, 1965 the building was sold to Flooring Specialists, Inc On September 8, 1960 the West View Borough offices were moved into the building and remained at the location until December 11, 1976. ยท Updated about 4 years ago
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.919479684822508&type=3
Trouble rebuilding this theatre in 1939